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Maduro orders soldiers to swear loyalty following alleged conspiracy

National Bolivarian Armed Forces participate in an event to honor reelected Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro in Caracas, Venezuela, 24 May 2018. On 24 May Maduro was sworn in as Venezuela’s president-elect. Officially his next term will not start till 10 January 2019. EFE

Caracas, May 24 (EFE).- The Venezuelan President Thursday ordered the armed forces to sign a “loyalty” document after several soldiers were found to have allegedly tried to engage in a conspiracy to hinder the presidential elections on May 20.

“I have ordered (the military) to take the oath and turn it into a document to be signed by the entire National Bolivarian Armed Forces (FANB) in order to carry out a process of remoralization, reactivation of the moral and ideological values of each officer, ” Nicolas Maduro said.

Accompanied by military leaders, Maduro made the announcement in a speech in front of several units of cadets from military schools in a military parade celebrating his re-election.

During the ceremony, Maduro also offered more details of the alleged “conspiracy”, which he said was financed and directed by Colombia and promoted by the US government to divide the FANB and “try at the time to suspend the May 20 elections.”

The newly re-elected president said that this movement has been “dismembered” and that “all those responsible for selling and giving themselves to traitors are convicted and confessed”.

Maduro noted that since the FANB is an organization rooted in “Chavista” and “Bolivarian” ideologies, “no vestige of colonialism or neocolonialism is accepted here,” adding “it is an anti-imperialist armed force”.

“I demand maximum loyalty to the FANB, maximum loyalty to the Constitution,” he said.

Earlier, the president said before the ruling National Constituent Assembly, where he was sworn in as president, that several “conspirators” linked to the US embassy in Venezuela and the Colombian government had been caught.

On Tuesday, the Venezuelan president also expelled the US Chargé d’Affaires in Caracas, Todd Robinson, from Venezuela and accused him of conspiring against the Maduro-led Bolivarian revolution and the elections.

Neither Colombia nor the US recognize the elections as legitimate as the Venezuelan opposition coalition chose not to participate because they considered them fraudulent.

According to the National Electoral Council, the May 20 poll had the lowest voter turnout rate in the history of the country.